Auto gain control for mics

[CrwooParticipant]

We need auto gain control for loud and not-so-loud speakers on the Avantis.
Even slower attack and release times for the compressor would help. Lets say option for 10 second attack and release times would essentially do the same thing.

If this is already in place, i would like to know how you handle AGC on the Avantis.
Thank you

[SteffenRParticipant]

We need auto gain control for loud and not-so-loud speakers on the Avantis.

you could hire a technician for this, who is willing to do his job, at least to move the faders a bit…

Lets say option for 10 second attack and release times would essentially do the same thing.

Maybe you don’t know anything about compressors…
10 sec attack will lead to no compression or gain control at all

[CrwooParticipant]

Not helpful at all. Any help is appreciated.

There are AGC modules available for processors for a reason.

If a sound goes over a certain threshold, the sound would be compressed until it does not go over the specified threshold for 10 seconds.

[BrianParticipant]

If a sound goes over a certain threshold, the sound would be compressed until it does not go over the specified threshold for 10 seconds.

That would be a compressor “hold” time that you are looking for. Steffen is correct that a 10 second attack time would result in very little compression being applied (if any at all). I will add that if you want to have any compressor setting (attack, release, hold) with that long of a time, you are likely using the compressor incorrectly and using shorter time settings would actually achieve your sonic goals while sounding more natural.

The Avantis has an Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM) that can be turned on and off. It should only be used for spoke word however – like a group panel discussion. It is not designed to be a replacement for a qualified sound engineer when that is needed.

[CrwooParticipant]

True, if you set the attack time to 20 seconds, the compressor wouldn’t work. But if you set the attack time to 1 second and the release to 20 seconds, it would essentially be the same thing as a auto gain control.

I do not feel that we need to have someone with fingers on the faders for such a simple thing as raising or lowering volume a bit between the ~45 minute speakers.
I should look into AMM, but I didnt think it was meant for one microphone.

[BrianParticipant]

I still think you need to read more about how compression works. There is zero reason (that I can think of) why you would want a compression setting with such long times. Perhaps you don’t understand that the release time only starts once the input’s volume as dropped back below the threshold. If the input has an attack and release time both set for 20ms and the input is above the threshold for 30 seconds, the compressor works for 30 seconds before releasing in 20ms once the volume drops below the threshold.

There would be no reason to try to hold the compression for an additional 10 seconds after the volume drops below the threshold. This would artificially lower the volume well past the point that the actual volume dropped down. It would definitely create wild volume changes that would sound wrong to anyone listening.

You are right that the AMM is designed to work with multiple inputs and simply lowers the volume of the inputs with weaker signals. It doesn’t do any automatic gain control like you are wanting.

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